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Module Two; Unit 2:

Hadith

The sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is the second source of guidance after the Qur’an, and thus it is fundamental for students to gain a good picture in the character of the Prophet (saw) as exemplified in this collection. Thus the goal of the course is to help students understand the Prophet’s guidance in his teachings, his character and his behaviour.

The text, entitled Jam‘ al-Nihaya fi Bidayat al-Khayr wa ’l-Ghaya, but often known simply as Mukhtasar Ibn Abi Jamra, or Mukhtasar Sahih al-Bukhari, is a selection of 297 hadiths from Sahih al-Bukhari. Unlike many abridged books of hadith, this book does not focus on fiqh, but rather on the Prophet’s ethics and moral teachings. The author was known for his piety and zuhd, and his selection of hadiths was designed to purify the heart and build moral character.

About the Author

Abdullah bin Sa’d bin Abi Jamra came from an Andalusian family from Murcia known for its knowledge, having produced numerous scholars and judges. He travelled in search of knowledge and settled in Egypt. He was known for his piety, his asceticism, and his love of seclusion. He summarised Sahih al-Bukhari in less than 300 hadith which he felt covered the most important aspects of Islam, and wrote a commentary of it full of insights and benefits. He lived a simple life dedicated to worship and teaching. Among his students was the great Maliki scholar Ibn al-Hajj, who mentioned numerous stories about him in his Madkhal. He was so beloved that when he died in Egypt in 699/1300, the scholars of Damascus prayed Janaza in absentia for him.

Teaching Method

The teacher will deliver a 55 minutes lecture. He will read the primary text in Arabic along with its translation, commenting and introducing relevant discussions in the field. There will be an encouragement for the teaching to be interactive, with questions both posed of the students and welcomed from them. The teacher may also use PowerPoint presentations and post recorded webinars as study aids.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

Analyse and evaluate certain texts of hadith

Understand how these same narrations can be understood and applied in our time to modern questions that the community faces.

Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of tazkiyah and ihsan from the studied hadith

Dr Abdul-Hakim Vazquez has spent almost 20 years studying the classical Islamic sciences under a variety of traditionally-trained scholars and received ijazah in hadith from scholars including Shaykh Akram Nadwi,

In 2005 he completed his doctorate in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, with a thesis on the establishment of the Maliki legal school in Muslim Spain. In 1999 he completed his Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS. He has worked at SOAS as a lecturer, researcher and editor.